Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

After waking up Conrad insisted he needed to go home.  Jude had agreed without argument for two reasons.  The first reason was that it transpired Conrad didn't actually have a concussion, the vision problem being caused by his eye condition.   The second reason was that he realized if he was going to get his friend to open up it would be easier for the younger man to do so on home ground.       Although he had been surprised his friend agreed to let him home the third year Resident had a feeling there was an ulterior motive so as soon as Jude had arrived at the door of the apartment he decided to get rid of the taller man.

"Thanks Jude," Conrad paused after opening the door and putting away his keys, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"You're not going to be on your own for a while," Jude stated confidently and quickly pushed past the other man into the apartment, "come on I'll make you something so you can take some meds for your eyes."
"There's no need," the ill man remained holding the open door.
"You're letting a draft in," Jude ignored the subtle hint as he took off his jacket, "close the door."
"Jude!"
"Conrad I'm not going anywhere so get used to it."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you here?"Conrad looked at the ground.
"I'm here because you're not well," Jude shook his head in fond exasperation as he walked back over to the door and removed his friends' hand to close it, "now get your jacket off and sit down."
"I don't need you here," Conrad argued as he reluctantly allowed himself to be guided over to the soft brown leather couch after hanging up his jacket on a hook.
"Don't think of it as you needing help but as me wanting to help okay?   It's no big deal Conrad.  You're my friend," Jude spoke quietly as he headed back over to the kitchen, "two plain omelettes coming up."
"Not hungry," Conrad tried.
"You need something in your stomach for the meds."
"Can't you just ..... leave me be?" the fair haired man pleaded wearily and  rubbed his eyes.
"Not going to happen.   Tell me something, when you were a kid and you were sick did your mother leave you alone?"
"Jude ....," Conrad voice held a  warning tone, "I'm not talking about her."
"Why not?  I know your father is an ass but I also know you loved your mother very much," Jude began whisking eggs in a large bowl.
"How do you know that?"
"The few times you spoke of her it was obvious she was well loved."
"Drop it," Conrad instructed as he slowly got to his feet and walked over to the double refrigerator to retrieve ice cubes and a facecloth he had left inside.
"Okay," Jude agreed easily knowing the task he had set himself would be a painstaking one and that he needed to thread carefully if he was to achieve success, "milk or coffee?"
"Milk," Conrad put back the ice cube tray after folding four cubes in the cool cloth, "you want something stronger?"
"Nah," the Surgeon replied as he poured the egg mixture into the prepared pan, "milk is good."
"Once you've eaten you can go," Conrad decided as he filled two large glasses with the prerequisite white liquid and placed them on the counter where he added plates and cutlery.
"Now anyone would think you want to be alone."
"Can't imagine why," Conrad replied wrily as he sat on kitchen stool.

After the meal was consumed and Conrad had taken two DFs he headed over to his bed at his friends' urging.  Figuring if his friend thought he was  asleep he might decide to leave Conrad lay down and while trying to get his sore brain to conjure up a suitable argument for his companion to depart he inadvertently fell into darkness.

By the time he opened his eyes again the winters' evening had descended into darkness and the blinds were down with a  lamp providing a soft glow on the other side of the bookcase.  Checking his watch he was surprised to learn he had been asleep for several hours.  Jude put down the book he was reading and went over to check on his friend, as he had been doing frequently, and was glad to see him awake and some of the pain seemed to have left the still bruised eyes.

"About time you woke up."
"Sorry.  Didn't mean to be out that long," Conrad didn't meet the other mans' gaze as he pushed back the covers and sat up, "you should be going."
"I'm in no rush," Jude stated easily, passing over the jeans from the foot of the bed, "besides I figured it's time we had a talk."
"About what?" the pale man asked suspiciously as he got dressed slowly for although the excruciating pain had been pushed back by the meds and rest it would be bad for another while to come.
"Just a chat," Jude led the way over to the couch and gestured for his friend to sit, which he did after a brief hesitation, "I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with being ill or hurt.   You have nothing to be embarrassed about Conrad."
"I already told you about my eye problem.  That's bad enough.   Shouldn't you be going?" Conrad blushed as he avoided looking over at the man sitting a couple of feet away from him on the couch.
"There's nothing bad in telling someone about a health problem.    Why do you get embarrassed?  It's almost like you're ashamed when you're sick and I  want to know why."
"Don't know what you're talking about," the younger man denied, his gaze on the hands in his lap.
"Yes you do," Jude moved closer and placed a hand under the lowered chin, "it's only me here.  You can tell me anything and I promise it won't make me walk away."
"You can't ....," Conrad paused after his chin was released wondering if for once he should try talking to someone about his past.
"Can't what?"

"Look it's nothing," Conrad shrugged his shoulders and backed away from the conversation with a change of topic, "any idea what to do about Sessions?"
"Well he seems to have enough back up from the Board so it would be hard to get him fired," Jude allowed the subject change knowing his friends' secrets would not be brought out into the open in one day, "you have any ideas?"
"What if he decided to go willingly?"
"Convincing him to leave will be hard.  He's not going to go quietly."
"Having Trump as POTUS has emboldened him," Conrad admitted sadly.
"Well when the head of the country mocks a disabled Reporter you know he is sending out a message that such behaviour is acceptable."
"What kind of country are we living in when companies have to train their employees not to mock people who stutter or how to deal with each customer the same no matter what their skin colour is?"
"You would think basic decency would be inherent but obviously not," Jude sighed, "we have to believe that there are more good than bad people in this country."
"You know when Hitler rose to power he brought in all sorts of things such as getting rid of disabled children to achieve his so called 'perfect race' but the thing is many of the German people not only went along with him they even expanded his policies.  Whereas Hitlers' Minister said three Doctors had to sign a document confirming a child was disabled many of those running the institutions where the children were brought to actually accepted one Doctors' signature and then killed the child."
"Never knew that," Jude shook his head.
"Well I think we have to do whatever we can to help and if enough people do then Trump and his allies will fall."
"Right now this is a scary world we are living in," Jude concurred.
"In the 1700s an  Irish Statesman, Edmund Burke, said that for evil to triumph good men must stand by and do nothing."
"He must have been prophetic.   So how do we deal with Sessions?"
"Was hoping you would ask," Conrad grinned wickedly, "it may take a while but it will be worth it."
"Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you," Jude settled in to listen to his friends' plan.

tbc